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Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
REM sleep deprivation affects extinction of cued but not contextual fear conditioning
1Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA. silvesam@shu.edu
Abstract:
Previous research has demonstrated that rapid eye movement (REM), or paradoxical, sleep deprivation can interfere with the retention of certain types of learning tasks, particularly spatial learning. The present study investigated the effects of 6 h of REM sleep deprivation on the retention and extinction of both cued and contextual conditioning tasks in rats. Sleep-deprived animals showed normal retention of both types of conditioning tasks but retarded extinction of the cued task and a trend toward attenuated spontaneous recovery of the contextual task. The results provide further evidence for the involvement of REM sleep in learning and memory processes.
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